Heather’s performance was captured in one take by moon:and:6. The video was shot by Jon from AstirMedia.

Heather also recently collaborated with American singer-songwriter and YouTube phenom Tyler Ward. Their cover of OneRepublic’s Good Life attracted over 2.8 million views on YouTube. Heather’s own YouTube channel has over 32,000 subscribers.

With her soothing voice, practiced hands and poetic license, Heather Janssen wants to follow in the footsteps of the artists who have influenced her most. –Catherine O’Hara, Flamborough Review (July 2012)

We were thrilled to welcome Heather to the studio and look forward to hearing more of her original work and covers soon. Check out Heather’s work here: youtube.com/heatherjanssen

The post Heather Janssen releases video for acoustic version of “Sweet Nothing” appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Scott, who worked with Lee on his last album Emergency Broadcast, had this to say about working with Lee again:

Working with Lee is always a pleasure. He is an extremely skilled lyricist and knows exactly what he wants from the songs. Tracking was seamless. It was also the first project I’ve mixed on our new (to us and recently refurbished) MCI-JH636 console. I couldn’t be happier with the sound – that old MCI brings a warmth to the tracks that I just couldn’t get “in the box.” It’s always easy to get great results when working with a pro like Lee. I look forward to the next project we get to work on together.

Starting this weekend, Lee will be on tour for three weeks in Alberta and BC with Test Their Logik. Check out the album here: leereed.bandcamp.com

The post Lee Reed releases new EP “Written Large” appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

On the importance of pre-production:

Pre-production is a lot of work and it isn’t sexy. However, proper pre-production is the key to having a great experience in the studio. I think of the demo as a road map. It doesn’t mean you can’t explore, but you always know what the goal is, and where you meant to go.

Honest communication is also key — not just between band members, but also between the artist and the studio.

It’s always better that everyone (band members and studio staff) know the goals of the session. … Talk about albums you like with the studio staff. The more studio staff know your likes and dislikes, the better and faster they can get you on track to a great experience.

Michael’s article also offers some good advice about instrument set-up, repair and maintenance, with specific tips for guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboard players, and vocalists. Tips on how to find the best studio for your needs include assessing the people, the space, and the gear. Above all,

Make sure you like the people. You’re going to be working very closely with them. The better you get along and respect each other, the better your recording will turn out.

Once you’re happy with the people, assess how the space feels. Acoustic properties are not as important as how comfortable you feel.

Last but not least,

Remember, nothing is sacred. That means that even though you did all that work on your demos, be ready to make some changes in the studio.

Read the entire article here: 5 Tips for Artists Heading Into the Studio – Catherine North Studios

About the Recording Artists’ Collecting Society (RACS)

The Recording Artists’ Collecting Society (RACS) is a division of ACTRA that collects and distributes royalties for neighbouring rights and private copying to eligible recording artists. RACS represents more than 3,500 recording artists domestically and countless more through their reciprocal agreements. Since 1998, RACS has distributed more than $35 million to recording artists. For more information about RACS, visit their website at: actra.ca/racs

The post How to make the most of studio time: 5 tips for artists heading into the studio appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Late Saturday night ScottyP shared his enthusiasm via Twitter and Facebook:

“I just WON! Hamilton Hip Hop Media Awards – SOUND ENGINEER of THE YEAR!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for the Love and Support!!!!!! So honoured!! There are LOTS of talented people in this city, Let’s keep the momentum and build!”

Other winners of the evening included Lee Reed (Artist of the Year and Album of the Year) and Hachey the MouthPEACE (Live Act of the Year).

Hosted by 93.3 CFMU‘s In Tha Kut Radio and The Live N Direct Show, the Hamilton Hip Hop Media Awards celebrate Hamilton’s vibrant hip hop scene by recognizing and honoring the city’s outstanding artists and contributors. The award show was hosted live to air at The Underground on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013.

The post ScottyP wins Sound Engineer of the Year at 2012 Hamilton HipHop Media Awards appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Whitehorse put a twist on their duo set-up with a full band performance of “Devil’s Got A Gun,” from the album The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss.

Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland are joined by Derek Downham (The Beauties) on drums, Anna Ruddick (Ladies of the Canyon) on bass, Chloe Doucet-Winkelman on keys and backing vocals, and Leon Furs on synth strings.

The post New Whitehorse video recorded live at Catherine North Studios appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

The video was shot entirely in Midland and Penetanguishene, Ontario – coincidentally, Michael and Kathleen‘s hometowns.

Directed by Kristopher Chandroo, the video is a moving tribute to one of Paul’s favourite places. Kristopher Chandroo also directed the video for “Conveniently Yours,” Paul’s first single from the album Relative Importance.

Relative Importance was recorded and mixed at Catherine North Studios. The album is available for purchase or download at: paulfederici.bandcamp.com

Paul recently returned to Catherine North Studios to begin recording his next album. The album is due for release in the spring of 2013. Stay tuned!

The post Paul Federici releases video for Without You appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Tonight’s showcase highlights the amazing diversity of talented musical artists that we’ve been privileged to work with. Please join us for a fantastic night of live music!

9:30pm – Paul Federici

Paul Federici has the type of singing style one seeks when exploring themes of lost love, guilt, regret, and reflection. Complex, legato harmonies are juxtaposed over minimalistic lyrics. Paul’s debut release, Relative Importance, offers a blend of emotive lyrics, vivid harmonies, and authentic instrumentation.

10:30pm – The Rosy Red

The Rosy Red is a four-piece rock band from Brantford, Ontario. The four members call themselves “real rock ‘n roll kids just wanting to stay out of trouble and play exciting music.” The young band’s authentic, energetic sound is a fresh and relevant homage to classic rockers like The Rolling Stones and The Kinks.

11:30pm – tiny bill cody

tiny bill cody is the performance alter-ego of visual artist Tor Lukasik-Foss, a conceit which allows him to perform both regular and unlikely concerts. He uses songs and spoken words to expose himself as a fraud, a fool, and a fake. But in a good way.

12:30am – Of Gentlemen and Cowards

Of Gentlemen and Cowards is a four piece pop rock band from Hamilton, Ontario. Their music is energetic, melodic, youthful and catchy as hell. Since releasing their demo EP Threads in early 2011, Of Gentlemen and Cowards have shared the stage with groups such as The Reason, Hey Ocean!, The Midway State, and the Arkells.

About the Hamilton Music Awards festival

The 2012 Hamilton Music Awards Festival takes place November 16 and 17, 2012. It features over 80 musical acts in clubs and theatres throughout downtown Hamilton. The festival attracts music fans and people from all walks of the music industry. Main stage performances take place at the McIntyre Theatre (Mohawk College). Past performers include Brian Melo, The Arkells, Lee Harvey Osmond, Steve Strongman, John Ellison, Teenage Head, Daniel Lanois, Finger Eleven, Sarah Harmer, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Ian Thomas, Lee Harvey Osmond, Garnet Rogers, jacksoul and hundreds of others.

All-access Festival Wristbands are $19.12. Tickets can be purchased at Dr. Disc (905-523-1010), located at 20 Wilson Street in Hamilton, and Picks and Sticks (905-528-6058), located at 140 Locke Street South in Hamilton. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster or by calling 1-855-872-5000.

About This Ain’t Hollywood

This Ain’t Hollywood is a proud north end rock ‘n roll live music venue! Located in the infamous McKenzie House (est. 1893), the venue boasts crystal clear sound and perfect sight lines. On any given night you can see local bands, indie rockers, and impromptu jam sessions. The venue is located at 345 James Street North, at the corner of James and Murray. A perennial favourite among Hamilton live music lovers, This Ain’t Hollywood is a solid anchor in the thriving James Street North arts scene.

The post Catherine North Studios HMA Festival showcase tonight at This Ain’t Hollywood appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Our very own Michael Chambers will be a panelist for Sound Recording: The Magic In-Between happening Thursday, November 15 at Mohawk College in Hamilton (10:15 to 11:30 am, Room C123, Fennell Campus).

Between the creative talent of the musician and your ears lies another layer of music talent: the sound recording personnel. In this workshop, a panel of distinguished sound recording experts play their favourite piece of music while describing the challenges, technology and triumphs of the session.

Panelists for this session include:

Richard Chycki - “I have never enjoyed the recording process so much, nor been so satisfied with the results.” –Neil Peart, on working with producer/engineer/songsmith Richard Chycki. Okay, bio complete. Then again, Juno-nominated Chycki has also worked with Aerosmith, Dream Theater, Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Cranberries and P. Diddy to name a few, and has also been instrumental in the remixing of original artist tracks for both the eminently popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band video games and iOS apps like Jammit. Past works also include contributions to movie soundtracks for features like I Love You Man, Charlie’s Angels, Serendipity, Scream 3 and The Glimmerman. Live broadcast works include track mix for the 2010 Winter Olympics closing show, MTV’s 20th Anniversary Special and international live broadcasts via YouTube, amongst others. “For me, it’s all about capturing the vibe and spirit of the music that the artist intended and having fun doing it,” says Chycki of his musical mantra. richardchycki.com

Nick Blagona (Jukasa Media Group) - As Canada’s foremost recording pioneer, Blagona’s illustrious career spans 40 years. He was instrumental in launching English and French Canadian rock to the world stage (Kim Mitchell, April Wine, Robert Charlebois, Uzeb), and he designed/built North America’s first and most successful environmental studio: Le Studio, Morin Heights. He has extensive international experience in mobile recordings (Deep Purple, The Police World Tour, Green Day, FooFighters, and Sloan). His creative engineering and mixing talent has enhanced the most notable recordings by Tea Party, Alexisonfire, Protest The Hero, Callaghan, and Derek Miller and he continues to evolve with leading edge technology. In his arsenal Nick Blagona has been mastering hundreds of projects for the past 17 years. He has shared his genius with generations of successful artists from big band/jazz to metal/elect. Nick Blagona is now the chief engineer at Jukasa Studios. nickblagona.com

Karen Kosowski - Canadian producer and songwriter Karen Kosowski earned over a decade of experience as an independent touring solo artist, during which time she wrote, recorded and produced several of her own independent releases. It wasn’t until 2008 that she realized her true passion of songwriting and production, when she was given the opportunity to write and produce a song for a young singing contestant on YTV’s The Next Star (her track was subsequently released by Universal Music Canada). She has since worked with numerous artists around the world, including Allstar Weekend (Universal Music), DOTAN (EMI Netherlands), Sophie Delila (Universal Music France), Sabrina Carpenter (Hollywood Records) and Emma-Lee (eOne Music Canada). Her film and TV sync placements include networks such as HBO Canada, CBS, FX Network, Lifetime Network, TLC, YTV, MuchMusic, NickTeen, Space, the CW and APTN, and her songs/productions have received airplay on 23+ radio stations across Canada. Recent collaborations include Keith Follese, James Bryan, Brian West, Rob Allen, Gavin Brown, Eric Dill, Simon Wilcox and Andy Stochansky. Currently splitting her time between Toronto and Los Angeles, she is working with developing independent artists and artists signed to labels such as Hollywood Records, Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada. www.karenkosowski.com

Michael Chambers (Catherine North Studios) - Michael Chambers (aka moon:and:6, Leon Furs) launched his professional music production career in the late 1990s, assisting on sessions for the Philosopher Kings and the Juno Award-winning Willie P. Bennett tribute album, Heartstrings. He has engineered and produced several successful indie pop/rock recordings, beginning with The Golden Dogs’ debut album Everything In 3 Parts (True North/Universal, 2004). Michael moved to Hamilton in 2007 where he worked under the mentorship and guidance of the late Dan Achen (Junkhouse). During this time, Michael became a regular fixture at Achen’s Catherine North Studios, working with artists such as Luke Doucet, Rose Cousins, Said the Whale, Ophelia Syndrome, and The Rest. Michael now co-owns Catherine North alongside audio engineer Duke Foster. Working under the moniker moon:and:6, Michael recorded and mixed Whitehorse’s self-titled debut in 2011, followed by their 2012 full-length release The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss (Six Shooter Records/Warner Music). Michael is the winner of the 2011 Hamilton Music Awards Studio Engineer of the Year award. catherinenorth.com

Trevor Titian - Raised in the Hamilton music industry, Trevor Titian has 25 years of experience from live sound in his earlier career to the recording arts in more recent years. With engineering credits on Sarah McLachlan, and producer of multi-HMA winning records (The Dinner Belles, Harrison Kennedy, and Michelle Titian) Trevor has made his mark in the Canadian music business. Titian’s production style has been strongly influenced through the process of recording with local professional musicians such as Tone Valcic, John Ellison, and Bill Dillon and his younger years on the live music scene with the city’s finest blues and country artists such as King Biscuit Boy. Trevor’s latest project, a roots spiritual ukulele record by Peter Tigchelaar, has just been released and nominated for this year’s HMAs.

The session will be moderated by Paul Morris (97.7 HTZ-FM). HTZ-FM’s Paul Morris is music director/assistant brand manager/air personality at Astral Media in St. Catharines. An industry favourite, Morris could fill a room with CMW “Music Director of the Year” awards.

About the HMA Careers in Music Conference

Now in its eleventh year, the HMA Careers in Music Conference introduces attendees to the wide spectrum of career possibilities in the music industry. Industry leaders provide guidance on opportunities in finance, entertainment law, artist management, marketing, radio, distribution, fine arts, photography, and technology (including sound engineering, video editing, and concert production).

The conference provides insights, skills, and career direction to local musicians and music industry personnel, and feeds the music sector with new talent and opportunities.

The conference takes place Thursday, November 14, 2012 at Mohawk College, Fennell Campus (Hamilton). Registration begins at 8am; opening ceremonies start at 9am. Admission is $19.50 per person, or free for students and accompanying teachers.

The post Sound recording experts talk about “The Magic In-Between” appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

We started the day by running our first ever analog recording clinic at the studio. Our very own Michael Chambers (who started his engineering career changing reels of 2″ tape on the Philosopher Kings’ Hurts to Love You sessions) led the sessions, which taught the basics of the analog recording workflow. We also covered two of the hybrid digital/analog approaches we use here at Catherine North Studios. Everyone got their hands dirty changing reels of tape, cleaning the tape machine heads, using the funky autolocator, and mixing through the console. Fun times!

Then #teamcatherinenorth took a road trip to pick up the latest addition to our vintage analog family. We’re thrilled to announce that Tristan “the Console Cowboy” Miller and Scotty P just acquired an 1980 MCI 600 series console, and it’s a beauty!

Moving the beast: Our “new” MCI 600 series console in transit (photo by Adrian J. Miller)

The MCI JH600 console is still sought after as a great sounding analog recording console, and many studios in the ’80s used the JH600 console in combination with the JH24 tape recorder and the JH110B 2 track tape recorder, making for an “All MCI” studio.

The JH-600 series was a totally new transformerless design, including many of the JH-500 features in a more compact frame with automation. They were relatively low priced and many people did not realise just how good this desk was sonicly. However many engineers agree that this was the cleanest sounding console of all.

Famous MCI users included such varied artists as the Eagles, Roy Orbison, the Bee Gees, Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. –Wikipedia.org

This console will need a lot of TLC from the Console Cowboy over the next month or more to get it back in shape. We’ll be installing our “new” MCI in the downstairs mix room once it’s ready.

Our well-loved MCI 500C series console will remain upstairs in our main tracking space. With the two MCI JH24 2-inch tape machines already here, this now makes Catherine North Studios an all-MCI studio!

Many thanks to Tristan’s dad and brother who helped us move the console — we couldn’t have done it without you! We’re eagerly looking forward to using this console. For the audio geeks, you can follow Tristan’s MCI restoration progress over at labs.catherinenorth.com and on the MCIRecording.com forums.

The post Analog Day at Catherine North Studios appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Who will bring home the Hammy?

Hot on the heels of the 2012 HMA Music Award nominations, Catherine North Studios staff have picked up four more nominations for the 2012 HMA Industry Awards.

#teamcatherinenorth is well represented in the Studio Engineer of the Year category this year, with two of the five nominees hailing from Catherine North Studios. Congratulations to both ScottyP (Lee Reed, Hachey the MouthPEACE) and moon:and:6 (Whitehorse, Paul Federici, Ophelia Syndrome).

Our very own Duke Foster also earned a nomination for Tour Manager of the Year for his work with Blue Rodeo. And Catherine North Studios is proud to be up for Recording Studio of the Year once again this year.

This year’s HMA Industry Award nominees include:

Studio Engineer of the Year

• Cory Barnes – Ariana Gillis
• Nick Blagona – Weekend Riot Club, The Sheepdogs
• Amy King – Gordon Lightfoot (All Live), Chantal Chamberland, Trio Arjento, Illusion Avenue, The Blazing Fiddles, Black Ndred
• moon:and:6 – Whitehorse, Paul Federici, Ophelia Syndrome
• Scott Peacock – Lee Reed, Hachey the MouthPEACE

Recording Studio of the Year

• Boxcar Sound Recording Studio – Andre Bisson
• Catherine North – Whitehorse, The Rest
• Grant Avenue Studio – Gordon Lightfoot, Chantal Chamberland, Trio Arjento, Illusion Avenue, The Blazing Fiddles, Black Ndred
• Jukasa Studio – The Sheepdogs, Monster Truck
• Threshold Recording Studios – Dark Mean

Tour Manager of the Year

• Joe Cacioppo – Buffy Sainte Marie
• Brad Ferguson – Arkells
• Duke Foster – Blue Rodeo 
• Loretta Hale – Andre and the J Tones
• Ace Piva – 5440

Catherine North Studios alumni Whitehorse picked up six more industry award nominations (Artist Manager of the Year, Producer of the Year, Artist Website of the Year, Best Album Artwork, Record Label of the Year, and Guitarist of the Year). We’re also thrilled that Lee Reed earned a nomination for Video of the Year, while Hachey the MouthPEACE and Corey Walden (The Rogues) both earned nominations for Special Instrumentalist of the Year.

(Read the full HMA Industry Award nominee list.)

Our heartfelt congratulations to ALL the nominees! It’s an honour to be recognized in the Hamilton music industry community.

About the Hamilton Music Awards

The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Hamilton Music Awards, Festival and Conference was established in 2004 to promote and recognize Hamilton’s vibrant music community. To date, over 450 awards have been given to local artists and industry.

The 2012 HMA Industry Awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 17 at the McIntyre Theatre at Mohawk college. The following night, Alan Cross and Shelley Marshall will host the televised 2012 Hamilton Music Awards ceremony.

The post Catherine North Studios staff pick up four more Hamilton Music Award nominations appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Jeremy and Michael had a great conversation about recent changes in the music industry, and Catherine North Studio’s role in connecting artists and helping them reach their goals.

…independent artists still need a place to record. Some people are doing an awesome job recording things on their own. But part of what coming to a studio is about, too, is getting that extra objective opinion, where we work together on something. It’s not just about, “band plays, we hit record, okay give us your money, and out the door.” As I said, you come in and you have the meeting. We sit down and we talk about what the artist’s goals are.

And I think it’s that — just keeping in touch with, and keeping sight of how we are actually helping; where we’re adding value, and where we’re not adding value. … there’s a lot of different ways that we can fit in. It’s not just about churning out hit records. It’s about helping artists achieve what they’re truly capable of, but maybe can’t do on their own, or they just want that extra opinion in the process. –Michael Chambers, producer/engineer at Catherine North Studios

Our friends Adam Bentley (Auteur Research, The Rest) and Kori Pop were the featured guests on this episode. Both of them offered some terrific insights about the growth of the independent music industry.

You can watch the whole episode here:

Jeremy’s interview with Michael starts at the 11 minute mark. (Transcript available here.)

Cobalt Connects is a non-profit organization that is the connecting element for creative communities in Hamilton. They develop innovative facilities, projects and partnerships that advance the creative community.

Culture By The Minute is a show about local culture and local creativity. The program airs on the last Monday of every month on Cable 14 Hamilton. You can also watch previous episodes on Cable 14′s YouTube channel.

The post Collaboration in music: Helping artists in a Brave New (Music) World appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

This monthly PWYC series is organized and curated by Dan Hosh from Catherine North Studios. Featuring old friends and newly discovered talent, Lost & Found showcases the incredible diversity of great music that gets recorded in Hamilton.

This month’s showcase will feature:

8:45pm – Pilot Light (Toronto)

Pilot Light is a singer/songwriter from Toronto. Formerly of the band Electric Karma, his influences include John Lennon, Bob Marley, Joe Strummer, Peter Tosh, Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley… and things that make us think.

9:30pm – Steve Rivers (Nashville)

Steve Rivers is a Nashville-based recording artist and songwriter with country, rock, Americana, and blues influences. His new album Temptations is establishing him as one of the most exciting new artists in country music today.

10:15pm – Mandippal (Cambridge)

From playing guitar in his Kitchener high school music class to showcasing at major festivals, Mandippal is labeled as one of the hardest working artists in Canada. At 26, he’s already gained a steady following by focusing solely on his own blend of poetry and pop/rock.

About the venue

Lost & Found is hosted at the Artword Artbar, a friendly cafe-bar, live music and art venue located at 15 Colbourne Street, Hamilton, in the heart of James North arts district.

Admission is PWYC and all proceeds go directly to the artists. We hope you’ll join us!

The post From Nashville, Cambridge, and Hogtown to the Hammer: Lost & Found returns appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Congratulations to our very own ScottyP (Lee Reed, Hachey the MouthPEACE), Dan Hosh (Whitehorse), and moon:and:6 (Whitehorse, The Rest, and The Rogues).

This year’s nominations include:

(Read the full nominee list.)

Alan Cross and Shelley Marshall will host the 2012 Hamilton Music Awards ceremony on Sunday, November 18 at the McIntyre Theatre at Mohawk College.

Our heartfelt congratulations to ALL the nominees. We think Hamilton has one of the very best music scenes in the world, and we’re incredibly proud to be a part of it.

The post 2012 Hamilton Music Awards nominations announced today appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

If it’s good enough for Adam van Koeverden, it’s good enough for us!

#teamcatherinenorth woke up to a nice surprise this morning… we won silver for Best Recording Studio in View Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Best Of Hamilton 2012 survey!

We’re in good company… other 2012 silver medallists include Catherine North alumni Luke Doucet (Best Local Male Artist), neighbours and friends This Ain’t Hollywood (Best Live Venue), our favourite annual event, SuperCrawl (Best Free Event), and Tic Tac‘s favourite place to eat, Ben Thanh (Best Vietnamese Restaurant).

Congratulations to ALL the winners! And thank you for voting for us, whoever you are! :) It gives us the warm fuzzies to be recognized in our community.

Check out the full list of winners here.

The post Catherine North Studios wins silver in View Magazine’s Readers Choice poll appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Paul will be returning to Catherine North Studios to record ten new original songs for his sophomore release. “I’ll be teaming up again with producer/engineer Michael Chambers. I’m aiming to get back into the studio in the Fall of 2012, with a tentative release date of March 2013,” explains Paul.

Paul’s debut release, Relative Importance, peaked at #1 on CFBU 103.7 FM radio. Paul was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and won the Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year award at the 2012 Niagara Music Awards.

Paul was recently a guest on Pull the Plug, an all acoustic/unplugged podcast broadcasting from The Sound Distillery in downtown Kitchener, Ontario. Paul performed an acoustic version of “One Day You Will Be Right,” one of the new songs that will be on his next album:

Paul’s fundraiser takes place on Saturday, October 13 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Thorold, Ontario. Tickets to the fundraiser are $10 online or $15 at the door. You can also RSVP via Facebook.

Paul has a ton of games, prizes, food, drinks, entertainment and other surprises planned for the night — including:

• A prize table with over 30 donations
• An opportunity to play Super Mario 3 on Catherine North Studios’ GIANT Nintendo controllers (courtesy of our very own Tristan Miller)
• A “Buy–A–Beard” bid contest (?!)
• Live musical performance by Michigan-based singer/songwriter (and Catherine North alumni) Mike Vial
• Live screening of the UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar mixed martial arts pay-per-view event
• Homemade cheesecakes by Shamecake
• On-location recording by Pull the Plug
• …and more!

Can’t make it to Thorold on October 13? Supporters can also donate online via Paul’s website. All donations of $20 or more will receive a pre-sale copy of Paul’s new album. Personal and corporate sponsorship packages are also available through Paul’s website.

Making an album isn’t cheap, so let’s support all of the non-Biebers out there and give ourselves something decent to listen to! — Pull the Plug

About the Event

Paul Federici’s fundraiser will take place on Saturday October 13, 2012 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Thorold, Ontario (3 Ormond Street South). Doors open at 8pm. Tickets to the fundraiser are $10 online or $15 at the door. You can also RSVP via Facebook. We hope you’ll join us!

The post Putting the FUN into fundraising: Paul Federici hosts stag-and-doe fundraiser to record second album appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Quiet Company is Scott’s fourth full-length album, and was produced by collaborator and friend Rob Szabo (Peter Katz, Ian Sherwood). Recorded in a rustic cabin over the winter months of 2011 and 2012, the record’s low-key performances demonstrate how environment and headspace can influence a sound.

“Cooper’s songs reflect a sense of craftsmanship rare among other emerging artists… and contain some of the heart-stopping intimacy of Elliott Smith’s work.” — Exclaim! Magazine

A who’s-who of thoughtful, respected musicians and friends contributed to Quiet Company, including Catherine North MashUP survivor Adam Warner (Royal Wood, Jill Barber). Adam will also be supporting Scott on stage tonight, along with Royal Wood bandmates Dean Drouillard and Steve Zsrai.

Catherine North recording artist Paul Federici is opening the night. We had the pleasure of recording Paul’s debut record Relative Importance at Catherine North last year, with moon:and:6 producing and engineering. Relative Importance recently won Adult Contemporary Album of The Year at the 2012 Niagara Music Awards.

The dulcet-toned singer-songwriter’s debut is a strikingly honest effort; all emotive vocals, melancholic pianos, haunting strings and alt-folk acoustic guitar. Comparisons to Dallas Green are inevitable, given the similarity of their vocal range, but Federici’s work deserves to be judged on its own merits — and rightly so, as it’s remarkably good. — Hamilton Magazine

Tickets to tonight’s show are $15, and doors open at 8pm. We hope you’ll join us!

About the venue

Artword Artbar is a friendly cafe-bar, live music and art venue located at 15 Colbourne Street, Hamilton, in the heart of the James North arts district.

The post Scott Cooper brings some (not so) Quiet Company to the Hammer appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

This monthly PWYC series is organized and curated by Dan Hosh from Catherine North Studios. Featuring old friends and newly discovered talent, Lost & Found showcases the incredible diversity of great music that gets recorded in Hamilton.

This month’s showcase will feature:

8:45pm – Lauren Campbell (of Lauren Campbell & The Dusty Figurines)

Lauren Campbell is a spirited young musician out of Orillia, Ontario who is captivating audiences with her intimate blend of folk-rock and pop (ala Joel Plaskett and Sarah Harmer).
facebook.com/LaurenCampbellMusic
twitter.com/LaurenCampbellm

9:30pm – Darren Eedens

Darren Eedens is a folkin/honky tonkin’/ bluegrass musician. Sometimes he plays banjo, but the rest of the time he does not.
facebook.com/darreneedensmusic
twitter.com/darreneedens

10:15pm – Still Life

An eclectic mix of soft, hard, and alternative rock, Still Life will keep you tapping your foot, nodding your head, or whatever else you like to do to your music.
stilllifehamilton.com

About the venue

Lost & Found is hosted at the Artword Artbar, a friendly cafe-bar, live music and art venue located at 15 Colbourne Street, Hamilton, in the heart of James North arts district. Admission is PWYC and all proceeds go directly to the artists. We hope you’ll join us!

The post When folk, banjos, and alt-rock collide: Another Lost & Found showcase appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Feist was recently featured in View Magazine, where she spoke about her early influences:

…my uncle, Dan Achen [former Junkhouse guitarist and former producer/owner of Hamilton's Catherine North recording Studio], helped me to record my first demos of my entire life at Catherine North ten or fifteen years ago. He gave me my Starfire guitar that I still play now.

Dan Achen passed away suddenly in March 2010 and we miss him dearly. He inspired many people, including every one of us here at Catherine North.

Feist performing at Catherine North Studios at the tribute to Dan Achen (March 23, 2010)

Congratulations Feist. Dan would be so proud. ♥

The post Feist’s “Metals” wins 2012 Polaris Music Prize appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Voting starts on September 21 and ends October 1. You can vote for your favourite Hamilton businesses here.

Good luck to all the nominees!

The post Catherine North nominated for Best Recording Studio in the Spectator Readers’ Choice Awards appeared first on Catherine North Studios.

Fresh off of their performance at Hamilton’s Supercrawl on Saturday afternoon, the band will be performing on Letterman to promote the film We Made This Movie. The film premieres on September 20. The band’s song “Save Me” is included on the film’s official soundtrack.

Catherine North’s moon:and:6 recently finished mixing Of Gentlemen and Cowards’ latest singles, “Paper Planes” and “One of These Days.” Both of these songs will be released on 7″ vinyl later this fall. Download the tracks for free here or preview them below:

Since releasing their debut EP Threads in early 2011, Of Gentlemen and Cowards have shared the stage with other Canadian bands such as The Reason, Hey Ocean, and The Midway State. The band returned to the studio in the spring of 2012 to record their new material.

We took our time with [the record], learned about the production process, took a couple of takes so we could cut some of the instrumental tracks in one take all together, fought with each other about how to do it all, learned a lot about how to record music the right way, but ultimately we learned (and are still doing such) about ourselves. As a result we’re really happy to be sharing with you these two songs that we’re really proud of. –Of Gentlemen and Cowards

Of Gentlemen and Cowards returns to Hamilton on October 25 to play the Casbah with Hey Ocean.

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